Unveiling Icons of Modern Art: The Shchukin Collection

The exhibit, Icons of Modern Art: The Shchukin Collection brings appreciation to Sergei Ivanovich Shchukin, who was a 20th century Russian art collector of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The exhibition was unveiled on the 22nd of October in the Hermitage and Pushkin Museum and will continue to run until the 20th of February.

Henri Matisse

Icons of Modern Art: The Shchukin Collection showcases 130 well known pieces created by the Impressionist, post-impressionist and modern artists from which Shshukin enjoyed collecting. Featured, world-renowned artists include Monet, Cezanne, Guaguin, Rousseau, Derain, Matisse, Picasso, Degas, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Van Gogh.

Shchukin used his purchased paintings to decorate his home in Moscow, Russia. One of Shchukin’s first purchases, among the 258 total, was by Monet. Shchukin developed a close relationship with Monet as well as Matisse, who was associated with home design and painting for Shchukin. His relationship with such iconic and inspirational artists enhanced as Shchukin embraced the Parisian arts milieu of the era and defended the impressionist, post-impressionist and modern movements. From here, his relationships with artists and art dealers at the time helped to facilitate the growth of his collection.

Edgar Degas

The collection could not have been made possible without the help of Shchukin’s grandson, Andre-Marc Delocque Fourcaud. Fondation Louis Vuitton first began their artistic collaboration and first exhibition “ Keys to a passion” with the Hermitage Museum and Pushkin Museum in 2015. Today, the new Shchukin collection has given rise to an official partnership between the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the two museums.